The characters and locations used in this story are the property of J.K.Rowling and/or Warner Bros. The storyline is based on a challenge by 'pok' on the Portkey Forums ). This is a work of fanfiction and no money is being made with it, so please don't sue me.
Chapter 1 -- Hermione
Several hours earlier, just after I putting the timeturner back into my robes I heard footsteps nearing the door. Then door was opend rather forcefully ouch directly into my face. I heard a crunching noise and felt something sharp being pushed into my stomach.
"Harry are you ..." I heard Hermione start before she rushed over to where I was lying on the floor feeling slightly dazed and trying to decide which part of me hurt more. My stinging nose, my stomach with the unidentified sharp object embedded or my back as the door had slammed me against the wall. (Of course, there had to be a particularly jagged stone protruding where I hit the wall - it couldn't have been somewhere else.)
"Harry, are you okay?" asked the fuzzy brown being that was hovering above me in Hermiones voice. (Did I mention that I'm literally blind without my glasses?)
"I'm ... I'm okay. It's nothing really! Don't worry Hermione you didn't hurt me. Erm ... have you seen my glasses?" I replied bravely. (Afterall I HAVE been much worse.)
"Sorry Harry I didn't see you." Hermiones voice apologized. "... Ah there are your glasses. Just a second Harry. ... Oculus reparo! ... Here you go, they're as good as new."
Isn't she great! Err ... what? Well, at least I could see now. And anyway what's a little pain ... umm ... hmm ... seems like I can't get up! "Thanks Hermione. Erm ... could you help me up?"
"Oh, of course!" she said an held her hand out to me. Surprisingly she managed to get me to my feet on the first try. (Yeah and I managed to steady myself against the wall before collapsing at her feet the second she let go of me.) It's just not the time to worship her on my knees. Huh? ... What the ... First I've to find out what's embedded in my stomach, then I want to be able to stand on my feet again - preferably WITHOUT leaning againgst this protruding stone - and then ... I'll think of that when I get there.
So while I was busy sorting through my robes completely forgetting my best friend, who was afterall standing right in front of me ... (Yeah I know, how could I!) Said friend decided to interrupt my thoughts. "Harry ... what are you doing, is ... is something worng ... with ... with your robes?"
The timeturner ... she cannot know about it. Think! Harry think! "NO! ... Erm ... I mean ... no my robes are okay ... I just wanted to smooth them!" I lied smoohting them down and looking at my hands. I had managed to dig the object up and it looked like a slightly dented half of an hourglass with just a few splinters of glass left. Wait a minute ... an hourglass ... the timeturner ... noooooooooooo!
I was suddenly very aware of Hermione standing before me not a foot away. So I closed my hand thightly wince and looked up to see her look at me. I knew that look! Brows furrowed, chewing her lower lip, eyes narrowed in scepticism or worry ... Even now she looks absolutely beautiful ... Huh? ... What's wrong? Was the door that hard? This is Hermione ... She looked ... unconvinced! I had to get her attention off to less dangerous matters. "Erm ... Hermione, why are you here? Did you want to ... talk about something?" I asked and led her over to the couch.
I didn't expect her reaction to that one. For a fleeting moment she looked like a deer caught in the head lights before she tried not to look put out and failed spectacularly as her face took on the colour of Rons hair. I didn't think she could top that.
"Erm ... Well ... Huh ... Er ..." Till she started to speak or more precisely not speak that is. Hermione Granger at a loss for words??? Somebody check my lifesigns I must be hallucinating! But still ... she's kinda cute. Where are these thoughts coming from? That's not me ... right? "Hermione? You allright?"
"Umm ... Yes ... Yes, I'm fine thanks Harry" she said still blushing "I wanted to tell you something ... something really important ..."
"Well, what is it? You can tell me anything Hermione. You know that, don't you?" I tried to encourage her. It seemed to work though I wasn't absolutely sure of that as Neville chose that moment to barge in. He spotted us sitting there and stalked over to us clenching and unclenching his fists and looking altogether ... menacing.
"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, POTTER?" he roared his fists on his hips and his face purple with fury. Neville didn't give me a chance to answer as he contiued straightaway. "I TOLD YOU HOW I'M FEELING TOWARDS HER! I TOLD YOU! WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU? GOING BEHIND MY BACK, STEALING HER AWAY FROM UNDER MY NOSE!"
"Neville what ..." was all I managed while he drew breath readying himself for another onslaught.
"DON'T TRY ME POTTER! DON'T TELL ME YOU DID'T DO IT I HAVE PROOF! I'VE SEEN YOU SNEAK THAT LOVE POTION INTO HER PUMPKIN JUICE!" he yelled. I was almost sure he was loud enough to be heard in Hogsmeade, but surprisingly there was no crowd assembled yet.
"Neville what ..." I started again only to be drowned out by Hermione who had jumped up and was doing a very good imitation of a firebreathing dragon just prior to launching a particularly large spout of flames.
"NEVILLE, SHUT UP! HARRY WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST ACCEPT THAT I LOVE HIM AND NOT YOU!" Hermione countered. Wait ... what did she say? She ... she loves me ... ME??? ... Yippeh she loves mee too! ... Wait what did I just think? She loves me too? Doesn't that mean that I love Hermione? I had totally tuned them out while I was trying to understand what I had just discovered. I was in love with Hermione and what's more she was in love with me too.
I suddenly noticed the reduced noise level and looked up to find Hermione standing in the middle of the room. Alone and ... sobbing? I got up and walked over to her, but when I tried to comfort her - hugging her always worked so far - she pushed me away and looked at me her face filled with sudden anger.
"Don't touch me! You ... You ... You ... Argh! I don't even know what to call you! Couldn't you have stood up and just said that you don't love me back? Or at least said anything? And not just sat there watching and grinning like a maniac?" she hissed retreating towards the door.
I was thoroughly bewildered, hadn't she just yelled for the whole school to hear that she loved me? What's going on here? The next thing I registered was the sound of the door as it was slammed shut.
Well that's nice! Finding and losing love all in the space of - let's see - half an hour. Suddenly the world became blurry. When everything cleared I heard footstep nearing the door and noticed that I was standing behind it.